The Korea-Japan trip last year was quite simply one of the best experiences I’ve had at the Kennedy School. We had over 60 people from 18 countries getting a taste of two cultures that many of us had never gotten a large dose of before, and I count many of these trip goers as friends today.

The Korean and Japanese organizers of the trip did a tremendous job offering us options, while keeping each day jam packed with incredible opportunities to meet leaders, tour cities, get to know the culture, and enjoy the night life. If you don’t plan to live in Korea or Japan in the future, you will never get an opportunity to see these countries quite like this, with the access to political leaders and even a pop star, the insights of the Japanese and Korean organizers, and the really classy places we got to stay.

Nor will you ever get to experience your Korean and Japanese classmates’ cultures with them in such a way, including the many opportunities to belt out karaoke with neckties tied around our heads as well as the more peaceful traditional meal with a top government official in Kyoto. Kyoto as a whole was one of the most awe-inspiring places I’ve ever been, with the city having millennia of history, a generalized calming effect on the senses, and some breathtaking shrines. Clearly, some of the fellas were invigorated by the water, the ambience, and the restful sleep at the Buddhist monastery in Kyoto, resulting in this picture:

Everywhere we went, we were treated like royalty, we got access to the top leaders, and we partied like rock stars. This pampering and the adrenaline of being in a foreign land with infinite options to explore led us to take ridiculous photos like this one:

You just can’t go wrong with the K-J trip. I urge you to ask anyone who went last year what they though, and I imagine you’ll get an overwhelmingly positive response.